Pneumatic renovator.



PATENTED MAY 3, 1904:.

J. S. THURMAN. PNEUMATIC RENOVA'I'OR.

APPLIOAT'ION FILED MAR. 10, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented May 3, 1904.

J GEN S. THURMAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

PNEUMATIC RENOVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,141, dated May 3, 1904.

A li ati fil d March 10, 1902. Serial No. 97,528. (No model.)

To all whom it Hwy concern:

Be it known that I, J GEN S. illIIURMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have inventedacertain new and useful Improvement in Pneumatic Renovators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section. Fig. 2 is a top plan view, the dust-arresting bag being removed; and Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly in section, on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

My invention relates to pneumatic renovators, and is particularly designed for renovating clothing and the like, although it will be readily understood that the present apparatus is in no wise limited to such use.

My objects are to provide a renovator of simple and efficient construction, to mount the nozzle movably with respect to the casing or other chamber into which said nozzle discharges, whereby the air-blast can be taken from the material being acted upon without shutting off said blast or lifting the entire apparatus, and to provide means for holding the casing (or casing part designed to engage the material) firmly against the material being acted upon.

To these ends and also to improve generally upon apparatus of the character indicated my invention consists in the various matters hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, 1 represents the casing of the present apparatus, said casing being open at its top and provided at its upper edge with a flange or other suitable means 2 for the at tachment of a dust-arresting bag 3, said bag being here shown as having its mouth secured over said flange, as by means of an elastic or puckering-string upon the bag. A supporting arm or bracket 4 is held upon the casing in any suitable manner, as by means of a clamp 5, and from said arm or bracket the dust-arresting bag issuspended.

A recurved pipe 6 extends downwardly from the casing and has one end entering the said casing near the upper portion thereof, the inner pipe end being provided with an inwardlyopening flap-valve 7. Said pipe is relatively broad at its lower end, which is open, as shown at 8, and 'also has its under Wall cut away between the side walls 9 to produce an opening 10, adapted to lie over the material being acted upon when the apparatus is in operation. The side walls 9 at the sides of the opening 10 thus become runners which engage the material being renovated, and the portion of the under pipe-wall 11 immediately in advance of the opening 10 also engages the material being renovated when the apparatus is in use, said runners and under wall portion thus preventing escape of the air except through the pipe 6, which forms a conduit or passage for the dust-laden air, said conduit serving as one of the supporting means for the dust-arresting chamber at the upper end thereof, comprising said casing and dust-arresting bag or equivalent means for arresting and retaining the dust strained from the dust-laden air projected thereinto.

A nozzle 12 has a lug 13 upon its upper side, said lug'being pivoted between ears 14, which extend from the lower rear portion of the easing, and the forward end of said nozzle protrudes into the open rear end of the pipe 6, the parts being so proportioned that in its uppermost position the nozzle engages the upper edge of the pipe, thus preventing undue movement of said nozzle upon the apparatus. A spring 15 connects the nozzle with the easing in such manner that said spring tends to draw the said parts together in advance of the pivotal point of the nozzle, and as here shown the spring is connected to the nozzle and casing in advance of the said pivotal point. The nozzle is adapted to be connected to a flexible hose in a well-known manner, said hose leading from a suitable source of compressed air, and said nozzle is provided with a valve 16 for controlling the flow of the air through the same.

17 indicates a suitably constructed cup adapted to be filled with any suitableliquid, chemical, or soap and water for removing the grease-spots or with-.a disinfectant. I

In use the apparatus is placed upon the article to be renovated in the position shown in Fig. 1 and the air-blast is permitted to How through the nozzle, the dust-laden air being conveyed up the pipe 6 and emptied into the casing 1, whence it flows into the dust-arresting bag and finally escapes in a well-known manner, the dust being retained in the said casing and bag. The spring serves to firmly force the pipe 6 upon the article being treated, and thus escape of the air from beneath the runners or the bottom wall of the pipe is avoided. In this manner the lower end of the pipe serves practically as a hood for the nozzle, and, as shown in Fig. 3, the blast of air is directed at all times toward the open end of the pipe.

In the ordinary operation of the device the blast of air directed into the open end of the conduit 6 will meet with such slight resistance that it will hold open the flat valve 7 at the upper end of said conduit and permit the dustladen air to enter freely into the bag or chamher 3. After continual use, however, it sometimes happens that the fabric of the bag becomes coated upon its inner side with dust. This causes the pressure in the bag or chamher 3 to rise and arrests the flow of air into said chamber, thus closing the valve 7.

As the operator manipulates the device through the medium of the nozzle, it will be obvious that the nozzle can be pressed down upon the goods being cleaned with force, so as to cause the blast of air to enter the goods at different angles. The casing being hinged to the nozzle permits this change of angle of the nozzle, and the spring causes the hood end of the pipe to hug the goods closely and at all times occupy a proper position with relation to the nozzle.

I am aware that many minor changes in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of my device can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without in the least departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus of the character indicated, a dust-arresting chamber, a conduit leading thereinto at one end, the lower wall of said conduit being adapted to contact with the material being renovated at the opposite end, whereby it serves to support said chamber above the material, and a nozzle movable with relation to said conduit; substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the character indicated, a conduit open at its rear and lower end portion, a nozzle movable therein and adapted to project a blast through said opening into and through the material being operated upon, and a casing containing a chamber supported by said conduit and said nozzle; substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus of the character indicated a dust-arresting chamber, a nozzle forming a separate independent member connected thereto, and a conduit for receiving the blast from said nozzle and leading into said chamber, the shell of which conduit is adapted to form supporting-runners; substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus of the character indicated, a casing containing a chamber, a movable nozzle connected to said casing, and a conduit for receiving the blast from said nozzle and the shell of which forms supporting-runners, said conduit communicating with the interior of said casing at one end and its opposite end serving as a stop to limit the upward movement of said nozzle; substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus of the character indicated, a dust-arresting chamber, a blast-nozzle movable with relation thereto and connected therewith, and a conduit leading into said chamber at one end and open to atmosphere at its opposite end; substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus of the character indicated, a conduit, a movably-mounted blastnozzle, and a dust-arresting chamber supported by said conduit; substantially as described. 4

7. In an apparatus of the character indicated, a casing, a conduit provided with an opening for receiving the dust-laden air, a nozzle movably connected to said casing, and means whereby, when said nozzle is held in operative position, said conduit is forced upon the material being acted upon; substantially as described.

8. In an apparatus of the character indicated, a casing, a conduit leading into said casing and provided with an opening for receiving the dust-laden air, a nozzle movably connected to said casing, and a spring connecting said nozzle and casing, whereby said conduit may be forced upon the material being acted upon; substantially as described.

9. In an apparatus of the character indicated, a casing having a pipe extending below the same and open at its rear to receive a nozzle and the dust-laden air, a nozzle pivoted upon said casing in rear of said pipe and havingits discharge end protrudinginto said pipe, and a spring between said nozzle and said casing in advance of the pivotal point of said nozzle; substantially as described.

10. In an apparatus of the character indicated, the combination with a nozzle, of a dustcollecting chamber pivotally connected to said nozzle, and a conduit for the dust-laden air leading into the upper portion of said chamber; substantially as described.

11. In an apparatus of the character indicated, the combination with a nozzle forming a handle, of a dust-collecting chamber movably carried by said nozzle, a pipe for the dustladen air leading at oneend into said chamber, its opposite end being located in front of said nozzle, and means for forcing the free end of said pipe into contact with the goods to be cleaned.

12. In an apparatus of the character indi cated, the combination with a nozzle, of means for regulating the amount of air passing the re through, a dust-collecting chamber pivotally carried by said nozzle, a pipe leading at one end into said chamber, the other end of said pipe forming a hood in advance of said nozzle and yielding means connecting said nozzle and chamber, whereby the free end of the pipe may be forced against the goods being cleaned; substantially as described.

13. In a renovator, the combination with a d List-arresting chamber, of a nozzle movably attached thereto and discharging therein, said nozzle forming a handle for propelling said renovator and changing the position of the nozzle relative to the dust-chamber.

14. In a renovator, the combination with a dust-arresting chamber provided with an inlet, of a nozzle movably attached to said dnst chamber and discharginga jet of air through said inlet, said nozzle forming a handle for propelling said renovator and changing the position of said nozzle relative to said inlet.

15. In a renovator, the combination with a dust-arresting chamber, of a conduit opening at one end into said chamber, and a nozzle movably attached to said chamber and discharging into the opposite end of said conduit, said nozzle forming a handle for propelling said renovator and changing the position of said nozzle relative to said dust-chamher.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 7th day of March, 1902.

JNO. S. THURMAN.

l/Vitnesses V. CANNON, Gnonen BAKEWELL. 

